Banana Muffins

I cooked muffins today. It was my first time so I was curious about how they would turn out. I found the recipe online by searching for “easy muffin recipe” or similar.

The recipe I found was for banana muffins and I decided to use it since I had a couple of bananas at home.  At first, I thought I would have to buy a lot of ingredients but I had everything I needed. The only thing I actually had to buy was baking cups.

The mixture turned out pretty dense so I thought I would fail with the muffins. However, they turned out to be delicious after only twenty minutes in the oven.

I am really enjoying the break right now. I double-checked my grades on the Berkeley College Blackboard and I was able to confirm my 4.0 GPA.

I have planned a little for my Boston trip this weekend. I want to buy a Harvard shirt when I am there, but I found a website that sells it so I can buy it online if I for some reason cannot find it in Boston.

I looked up what professors I will have next quarter. I know two of them already. One is the same as I had this quarter in international business and I had the other one in college algebra last quarter.

Both are excellent teachers and I am really looking forward to seeing them again. The two other professors I will have next quarter seem to be good too. I looked them up online and found some information regarding what students think of them. Most people seem to have a positive opinion about their lectures so I feel very good about taking their classes.

There was a thunderstorm in Brooklyn today. I believe it was the first one this year. I always think it is fascinating with thunderstorms. The ones in New York are always incredibly intense with a lot of flashes. They are usually much smaller in Sweden actually so I really like watching them over here.

My fiancée bought shoes online from Victoria’s Secret last week. She was really excited when she received them a few days ago but got pretty disappointed when she opened the box.

They had sent her two left shoes and she could not order new ones because they did not have any more in stock. She was able to get a full refund though so she was not economically hurt from it. 

4.0

MacDonald’s have a great deal right now. They offer two filé o fish hamburgers for $3. The last time I had it was more than ten years ago and I really like it.

I took advantage of the deal twice already. I think I have to be careful now and watch my weight actually. MacDonald’s also have double cheeseburgers on the $1 menu. This is probably my favorite deal.

The reason I like these offers so much is that you can never see it in Sweden. The prices never change there and people usually order what they always order. Using promotions in a way MacDonald’s does in New York really make people buy more and try different products. I guess people can notice that based on the extra weight gained by many here.

I had my final in finance last yesterday. It felt good actually but I was pretty nervous before the test. I wrote as fast as I could in the beginning because I was afraid I would run out of time like I did for the midterm.

We had half an hour extra this time though because students are always given two hours to do their finals. I finished the test after approximately one hour and twenty minutes. I went over my answers to see if I had missed anything but I had a good feeling about it. I double checked my calculations and turned in my test shortly after that.

I got back my test results just two hours afterwards. I got an A and that made me very happy. I always believed that finance is an important class and I have really fought to get a good grade in this class.

I had decided to eat Swizz Raclette with my friend after the test. We went to a place at 48 Street and 8^th Avenue. The raclette was absolutely fantastic and we had some very nice white wine with the food.

The grades for the police and society test were also posted yesterday. I got exactly the same score on the final as I got on the midterm, which is 109 out of 115. I will still maintain my 4.0 GPA since this is a strong A.

I feel very good that this quarter is over. It has been a very insightful time and I have learned incredibly much. I need a break now though and I think my trip to Boston will really make me feel relaxed.

I bought some jeans today at Old Navy. I love the fit and the style and I am very happy with the purchase. I only paid $30 each for them and I think that is what makes Old Navy unique in its way because they are still of good quality.

I took the posted picture today when I was shopping with my fiancée. We went to Old Navy and some other stores in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn. 

Lost Dog

My test in police and society went well. There was one thing that made me a little upset though.

I finished the test rather quickly but there was one question that delayed me. It was a true or false question and I do not like those type of questions as readers might now by now.

I am do not remember exactly how the question was formulated but it was something like this: A fight between sexual partners is always, by definition, classified as domestic violence. I would usually mark a question like this as false because it says always, which makes the question disbelieving.

However, the definition of domestic violence is that the parties must have an intimate and emotional relationship and I assumed that sexual partners have that. However, I asked my professor if I was right after I had handed in my test.

She said I was wrong because I had misinterpreted the question. She had meant that sexual partners are not the only ones affected by domestic violence but also family members etcetera.

I can still not interpret the question like that but the truth is, it does not matter. My professor said: so you got one wrong, big deal. However, I would write the question like this instead: A fight between sexual partners, and only sexual partners, is always by definition, classified as domestic violence.

I also my international business book online the same day. I used half.com, which I have really had a good experience with. I believe it is a subsidiary of EBay actually. I sold my book for a good price. I actually found a website that offered the same book, but brand new, for a cheaper price.

Half.com is definitely helpful but I would wish that they had lower fees and a better shipping reimbursement. They never give people enough to cover for the shipping expenses and the fee they charge people for selling the book is calculated as a percentage of the price.

That means that if you sell a book for $80, they might charge you as much as $10, which happened to me. It might still be worth it though because it can be hard sometimes to find a buyer.

I took today’s picture in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. Apparently, there is someone looking for his or her dog and the son is very sad. Maybe someone reading my blog saw it somewhere. 

Last Week

I had my final class in finance last Monday. We did not have any new material to cover, of course because we would have our final two days after.

I am not sure the class was very important actually because I had prepared myself for the test for about two weeks and I felt ready to take it. However, there were a few questions that came up, which clarified a few things for me.

The professor had told us earlier what every question on the test would cover. He did not talk about any major details but he gave us a guideline of what to prepare for. For example, he said that question one would cover weighted average cost of capital, question two would cover the financial statements and ratios, and so on.

I felt that the easiest part of the test would be the calculations. I felt like that because the calculations have formulas and people can remember them if they just study. Analytical questions in finance can be tough to answer especially since they can involve opinions and several different alternatives.

For example, people will have to understand what happens if a firm decides to finance itself with debt or with equity and what will happen in either case.

I also studied for my final in police in society last Monday. I would have it the next day and I felt very well prepared for it and I had no worries what so ever about it.

The professor had given us a review sheet, which basically looked the same as the review sheet she handed out for the midterm. The professor always gave us an outline of the chapter before talking about it.

This helped students to follow her discussions and focus on the subject. The review sheets were basically the same paper as the outline but with the professor’s notes on it. She wrote down key terms and important information for students to remember.

I really think her review sheet helped students because it makes it much easier to study. Students can narrow down the chapters into fewer pages based on her outline and notes, which really makes it more practical for students.

I took today’s picture at Dekalb Avenue in Brooklyn. I personally feel that this is a typical Brooklyn neighborhood. It is pretty loud with a lot of traffic and the people over there usually have a typical Brooklyn attitude.

A Brooklyn attitude can be described as being tough but still nice as long as people mind their own businesses. This neighborhood is also characterized by loud rap music with car windows rolled down. It can be pretty charming actually. 

Bus Tickets to Boston

I bought the bus tickets for my Boston trip now. I had to do my taxes too and it was conveniently located exactly at the same address as the tax office.

There are basically two different bus companies that will take people to Boston for $15 one way. Both are located in Chinatown in Manhattan and their buses are actually departing from the same stop.

We picked the one that had the nicest office but their buses are exactly the same. My fiancée and I will not leave until April 1^st but we wanted to make sure we would get tickets. Most people actually just go there the same day they leave to buy tickets.

The bus staff recommends everyone to show up 15 minutes before the bus leaves and people doing that should not have a problem catching the bus.

I went to a tax office to have my taxes done before buying tickets though. The office was located right next to the bus company’s office so it was very convenient. People having their taxes done in Chinatown will save a lot of money.

H&R Block and other tax companies usually charge a minimum fee of $75 to do peoples taxes. The office in Chinatown did my taxes for $25. I am very happy with my refund but I will not receive it until after a few weeks.

I have not been studying as much as I thought I would this weekend. I am trying to catch up today but the truth is that I feel pretty prepared for everything and not too nervous about it. I know my final in finance will be hard though so I keep reading the key chapters in the book.

I will have my last class in finance tomorrow but I do not have to go there. I will attend the class anyway though because I am afraid he will say something that will be useful for the test.

We talk a lot about Warren Buffett and I remembered that my professor had mentioned a book, which Warren Buffett had recommended people to read. I emailed my professor yesterday and asked him which book it was and he replayed to me the same day.

The book is called Security Analysis and was written by Graham and Dodd. I have not read it yet but I am sure it will be very interesting. I am thinking of buying the book but I might borrow it from the library before doing so.

I took today’s picture in Chinatown in Manhattan. My fiancée and I went there after I had done my taxes and bough the bus tickets. They have really cheap but delicious sushi. It cost $4 for twelve pieces of eel or California roll. We also bought salmon though and that one is $3.50 for eight pieces. 

Workshop

I went to a workshop at Berkeley College today. There was a lawyer who held a presentation about immigration laws and regulations and it was very interesting.

He had a lot of experience and I learned a lot from the presentation. He talked about all the different visas and what students can do after graduation. There is a lot to keep track of when it comes to immigration laws but I definitely have a better understanding of it now.

I had not eaten any breakfast this morning so I was very hungry when it ended. I had not gone to Burger King for a long time so I decided to go there. I got stuffed after having a triple whopper but I really loved it. I will probably gain ten pounds but I guess you have to reward yourself sometimes.

I found a very cheap Chinese buffet in Manhattan yesterday. It was only $8 per person and people could eat as much as they wanted to. There was not much taste to it but definitely worth the $8.

The restaurant is located close to 7^th Avenue and 40^th Street. Students should definitely check it out if they want to get a huge meal for less money.

It feels good that this quarter is over soon, and I am really looking forward to go to Boston. I need to buy the bus tickets but other than that I am ready to go. I will try not to bring too much luggage because I am only there for five days and I do not like to carry too many bags.

I will have to study for my last two finals this weekend. I have a class on Monday but it is not mandatory so I will consider going there. I will probably attend the class though because I feel bad not showing up.

My friend and I will have raclette on Thursday. It is a Swiss dish and he is actually from Switzerland. I only had it ones on one of my trips to Switzerland but I really liked it. The dish basically consists of melted cheese and potatoes but it is not as greasy as it may sound.

The raclette cheese is definitely something extraordinary and not many people know about it. I do not know the name or location of the restaurant yet but I will keep readers posted about it.

I took today’s picture in a grocery store in Chinatown. I go there about every second week and they have great food for great prices. They have a lot of fresh poultry and meat and it is fun to see the diversity of food there.

They have everything from spareribs to live toads. I usually stick to spareribs and poultry, and the only live creatures I bought there were crabs. They also have chicken feet and some other odd Chinese dishes.

Final Week

This is actually the last week of school not including the final week. That feels very good because this quarter has been pretty tough.

I have my first final tomorrow in international business. I have not studied that much for it actually but I still feel well prepared for it. I have typed the two reference sheets that students are allowed to bring for the test and I think I filled it up very well this time.

I have noticed that it is pretty expensive to get help with taxes in New York. Most places charges more than $75 to do the taxes for people. My fiancée’s friend will luckily help us with our taxes so I will not have to worry about that.

There are some places in Chinatown that do it for about $20 but I am not sure how experienced the accountants there are.

It is really warm today. I think it is about 64 degrees outside. I am happy that the spring is coming now but I am sure I will complain a lot when the summer arrives because it always gets really warm.

I have already started to prepare for my final in finance. I felt a little lost about a few things but today’s class was for students to ask questions so I feel much more confident in myself now.

Topics that will show up on the test include the weighted average cost of capital, analysis of ratios, valuation of assets, financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting. It is a lot to study so I am glad I already started with it.

The last day in class is, every quarter, the Monday of the last week. After that day, the school is having, what is called the final week. In that week, everyone will have his or her final. Sometimes, as in my international business class, students take their final the week before the final week.

I like taking it earlier actually because I want to finish school as soon as possible. Thursday is always the last day for the finals and I have, unfortunately, my last one that day. That, of course, means that I do not finish school until March 26.

The annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade took place yesterday on 5^th Avenue. I had a break at 11 AM so I was able to see the end of it. I took the posted picture there just next to my school.

A lot of people were drinking this day so it was pretty crazy in Manhattan. I like watching them though and I guess I would have been one of them if I would not have any school that day. 

Term Paper

I got back my term paper in finance today. I must give credit to the professor for returning it so fast because he had to read a lot of pages.

I was quite upset after he had given out the papers. I got an A- without an explanation. I did not understand why I did not get a straight A and it seemed as if it would be impossible for me to get a straight A grade from this professor.

A lot of people had handed in their paper in a fancy plastic case, which people can buy at Staples. I did not bother to do that because I find the content more important. It would be ridiculous if that affected their grades.

I talked to the professor after class and asked him what was missing in my paper to get a straight A. He looked at it and just said it was an excellent paper and then changed my grade to A.

I asked him again why he at first had given it an A- and he said that I had not used tables as some students had. I just find that ridiculous and I am glad he changed the grade because I wrote a very thorough paper with a lot more information than many other A students. I know it is not only about quantity but my paper was both quantity and quality.

I had a little headache when I came home after class and I needed a haircut so I went out to get one at my favorite hair salon. They have a lovely wash treatment where they really massage your skull. It really helped my headache and I felt a lot better after it.

I have already started to review for my final in finance. I typed down some key concepts in word today that I will use as a review sheet. I think it will help a lot. I started typing it last weekend but my professor changed the final today so I had to redo some of it.

I noticed today that some of the homework I did for international business is wrong. The syllabus states the chapter numbers and titles but the last chapters mentioned there do not correspond correctly with the titles.

I followed the chapter numbers and I noticed today that we have followed the titles in class, not the numbers. This might mean that I have to redo five chapter assignments. I will let my professor know about it tomorrow and hopefully he will accept my already turned in homework.

I will have a review for the final in international business tomorrow so I will bring my laptop to school to be able to type down information faster. I only have two days to prepare for the final but I actually think it is enough.

The two previous midterms have not been too hard and we are allowed to use two sheets of paper with notes on them, which make the test a little easier. The questions can still be challenging though.

My fiancée took today’s picture somewhere in Brooklyn for an assignment she had in a class. Many people think Brooklyn is very crappy but there are definitely many nice areas. 

Waffles!

Yesterday, I got back my videotapes, which I transferred to DVDs at Walgreens. I watched them today and it is fun to see myself as a kid.

The tapes are from 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1990. The quality really started to worsen on the tapes so I am glad I now have it on DVDs. I paid about $50 to have four tapes transferred and I think that is an okay price even though the service turned out to be terrible like I have described earlier.

I made waffles with my fiancée today. I have not eaten waffle in many years and it was the first time I had it together with my fiancée. She bought the waffle machine right after Christmas but we kind of forgot about it.

We did not buy a prepared waffle mix but made everything from scratch. It turned out really good. I put sugar and strawberry jam on them and it really made them tasty. I got really stuffed after eating about five of them though because they are pretty dense.

I started to prepare for my final in finance today. I am typing up everything I need to know in a word document, which I think will give me a great review. My television have not worked for a week but my landlord came up to help me today.

There was something wrong with the antenna cable but he was able to solve it. I can now watch AFV, Family Feud, Heroes, CSI, and Top Model again, which I find extremely important. I am just kidding!

A lot of shows are actually being broadcasted online. I know for example that Desperate Housewives on ABC is broadcasted online for free. I really love that because it is impossible to remember to watch all the shows.

People will still have to watch a thirty second commercial about every 15 minute but I think that is okay. I have connected my computer to my television with an HD wire so I do not have to watch on my laptop, which is great.

Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up this Tuesday. There will be a pretty big parade on 5^th Avenue in Manhattan just next to Berkeley College. I am not sure I will catch it on time though because I have classes.

However, I do have an hour break at that time so I should be able to watch some of it. I will not be wearing a green shirt and drink Guinness, but I am sure I will be celebrating with some Irish people.

I took today’s picture from inside a train. It turned out pretty cool and I think it reflects the craziness in New York in a good way. 

Korean Town

I have been working very hard on my term paper in finance the last three days. It was due today and I finished it yesterday night.

I was certainly waiting too long before starting on the paper. I have had a lot to do but I am sure I could have started it a little earlier. I ended up with 22 pages and I think I covered most about everything that I wanted to cover.

As I mentioned before, the paper consisted of two parts. The last part was basically a summary of the research and had to be in your own words. Students would have to write what they had learned from the paper and how managers use the topics discussed.

This part had to be as many pages as the first part, which really did not make any sense to me. What students ended up doing was repeating themselves and start talking about quite irrelevant stuff.

My opinion is that people cannot summarize a twelve pages paper with the same amounts of pages because a summary is a summary and nothing else. I ended up with eight pages for the second part, after having typed a lot of empty words.

I am quite satisfied with my paper but as I mentioned before, I wish that I had started a little earlier.

One thing that really bothers me when it comes to Macintosh is that I cannot print documents correctly. I always have to resave the documents as windows documents and it does not help to save it as a compatible 97- word document.

When trying to print an original 97- word document created on a Macintosh, the print comes out with weird numbers and what seem to be Greek signs. To solve this problem I always have to open it on a PC, change the font, and resave it.

I had Korean food today with my fiancée. We went to Korean town at a place where you pick your own food and then pay per pound. It ended up at around $10 per person and the food was good.

Korean town is a great place with a lot of good restaurants. Many of them are not very expensive so I think it is a good place for students.

I have my first final next week. I hope I will have a review tomorrow so that I have the weekend to study for it. The final is for my international business class, which I am doing pretty well in so I am not worried about the final at all.

I took today’s picture from the Empire State Building. It really provides an excellent view of Manhattan even though I prefer The Top of the Rock building at Rockefeller Center. 

Boston!

My fiancée and I changed our plans of going to Washington DC yesterday. We decided to go to Boston instead because we found a great hotel deal online.

I really wanted to go to Washington DC but the truth is that it is pretty expensive down there. If we would go there we would have to stay at a hotel outside the downtown area and it would not be very convenient since we do not know the city very well.

I will definitely go there some other time though and I have always wanted to go to Boston. We will be taking a Chinatown bus to Boston because they have the best deal. A roundtrip ticket costs $30.

We will stay for four days, which I think is perfect. We have already planned what to see there and there certainly is a lot of attraction. Both my fiancée and I are curious about Harvard and Cambridge so we will go to check that out.

We will also walk the freedom trail, visit museums and the aquarium, and take the duck ride. I am definitely looking forward to get away from New York for a while.

I am writing my term paper in finance today. I am hoping to finish at least the first part of it. It should not be a problem to finish it in time, which feels good because I hate being stressed out.

My television is not working properly anymore. I am not getting a signal and I have tried to adjust the antenna cable. It will work if I hold the cable in a certain way but the signal is not stable at all.

I do not think it is about the antenna cable because I tried to use another one and it still did not work. I called Samsung today and they said there might be a problem with the connection on the back of the TV so they will send a guy over to have a look on it.

The customer service was really good actually but it is really annoying that the TV is not working.

I forgot to adjust for daylight time today. I really hate loosing an hour but I guess it is okay this time because I am free on Monday.

Today’s picture was taken in Newport, New Jersey. The sun was setting by that time and gave a really beautiful view of Downtown and Midtown Manhattan. I have not been there for a while but I might go there again after it gets a little warmer outside.

Talking about weather, we had 65 degrees in Brooklyn yesterday. It was really warm and I did not wear a jacket outside for the first time this year. It felt really good actually but some stores felt very hot and it started to remind me how terrible the summers in New York can be. 

Vacuum Cleaners

I have been cleaning my apartment today. I am finally done with it but it took about two hours to finish the job.

I realized today why the American vacuum cleaners are different from the European ones. The American versions are much bigger and you have to take the whole vacuum cleaner with you wherever you go.

The European ones are smaller and has a longer pipe, which pretty much separates the handle from the vacuum cleaner itself.

The reason for this is because most Americans have carpets covering the whole floor in many of their rooms at home. The American vacuum cleaner therefore has to be stronger and there is usually a moving brush of some kind underneath it, which cleans carpets very effectively.

The European vacuum cleaners can, of course, also clean carpets but they are much less effective in doing so. It feels good to finally have solved this mystery. I have started to appreciate the American vacuum cleaners more now since I have two bedrooms with carpets in my new apartment.

One of my wisdom teeth has started to hurt again. I guess it is my last tooth to come out, or at least I really hope so. I will not go to a dentist though because it is not that painful yet and it is just too much trouble to go there.

I will stay home this weekend because I need to study. Another reason is that my metro card expired yesterday so I rather wait buying a new one until I really need it, which will be on Tuesday next week.

I do not have school on Monday because my professor in finance gave all students a study day so that everyone have time to finish their papers. I will hopefully finish my paper before that but it feels good to have an extra day to do it.

I noticed today that the dollar has strengthened a lot compared to the Swedish krona. A dollar usually bought around 7 SEK. Right now it buys approximately 9 SEK, which is a huge change.

I just got some money from Sweden and I was planning to send them to my American bank. This is not going to happen yet though and I really hope that the Swedish krona strengthens again soon.

I took today’s picture at the Brooklyn Bridge. It is a pretty common photograph to take while on the bridge but I really like it. 

Workshop Coming Up!

This week has past relatively fast actually. I have been quite busy with homework but it looks like everything will work out for me this quarter.

I would usually have a day of rest every Friday but that will not be the case on March 20th. The international division at Berkeley College has organized a workshop where attorney Michael Wildes will hold a presentation.

The presentation is supposed to cover topics such as optional practical training, nonimmigrant visa options for graduating students, and recent developments in the field of U.S. immigration and nationality law.

I am definitely looking forward to it and signed up for it as soon as I got the email. I will bring my fiancée actually so this will also be the first time she will visit my school.

I am getting close to finishing my term paper in finance now. I wrote about four pages today and I will probably write at least two more for the first part. There is also a second part of the paper, which will be a summary of what I learned and how managers use the material that I have written about.

The second part will probably contain as many pages as the first part so I will be looking at a 20+ pages paper when I am done.

I have learned a lot from writing this paper though. I am writing about how corporations raise capital in financial markets so I am writing a lot about IPOs, stocks, bonds, and derivatives.

My subscription in The Economist really helps me find good information but I have also found a lot of information from the textbook.

I read on an advertisement in the subway that the MTA might raise the fare to $108 for an unlimited ride monthly metro card. They might also reduce service with less trains and buses.

It would really upset me if this happened. The MTA is not offering adequate service at this time and raising the fare and reducing service is just disgraceful. A lot of New Yorkers would be furious about this decision since many people here have lost their jobs and are struggling economically.

The whole thing with the economy is, of course, a factor in why the MTA is struggling. However, I do believe that they could run their business a lot better. You see MTA employees loitering too many times.

My fiancée took today’s picture. It was taken in Coney Island and you can see the famous Wonder Wheel in the background. I am looking forward to go there in the summer again. 

1098T

I heard a few weeks ago that some students could get a tax return on their tuition payment. I was very interested in this because it apparently involves a lot of money.

I asked my school to send me the 1098T form, which they did but some of the information on it was incorrect. It has been pretty hard for me to get in touch with them but they called me back today and promised to correct the information and send it out later today.

This really made my day and I am very hopeful that I will get back a substantial amount of money.

My professor in finance told me today that I did a great job on the homework. Small talk like that really makes me feel better and motivates me to fight for the highest grade. I am trying to write my term paper and I feel that I am on the right track now.

I wrote another two pages today and I will probably add more later this evening. The hardest part of writing a paper is to get started. It is easy to add facts and information when you know the topics.

There was a snowstorm two days ago. New York is covered with one foot of snow and many schools actually cancelled classes. Berkeley College did not cancel any classes in Midtown though so I had to fight my way to school from Brooklyn.

I like that though because after all, I am paying for the education. I am really tired of the snow though. There have been a few days of warm weather this year but there is definitely a lack of it.

It just hit me that there is not many weeks left in school for this quarter. The only tests I have in front of me are finals and they will show up in approximately two to three weeks. We are already reviewing a little in my finance class, which I believe is great.

There are many confusing concepts and formulas so it is a good thing that we review well before the final.

I need to clean my apartment soon. I have been talking about doing it for three weeks but I have not had the time for it yet. I think I have time for it today though so I might do some of the cleaning.

Please let me know if you guys have any special wishes or questions. I would love to help if you want me to post a picture of something or want additional information about Berkeley College.

The picture of today is taken from Newport in New Jersey. I really recommend everyone to go there because you get a really nice view of Manhattan from there. 

DVDs

I had a test in international business today. I felt really calm about it actually and I am glad I did because I got 91/100 on it.

The test consisted of 24 multiple-choice questions. Many of them were quite tricky so students really have to think before answering them. It is pretty tough when there is only 24 questions because students cannot make many mistakes without loosing a lot of points.

I guess I had two mistakes and that got me down to 91. Another mistake and I would get a B+ so I am very glad that I did not mess up.

I got back one of my DVDs from Walgreens now. It has taken more than a month to do this and I will definitely not go there to do it again. The quality is good though and I love having my old videocassettes transferred to DVD.

I am still waiting for two more though but I was told they should arrive this week. I will not hope too much about that though because they have been terrible to me so far.

I have a lot to write for my term paper in finance. I thought I would have the time to do some of it today but I have been too busy. I have written about two pages so far and I think I will have to write at least twenty.

I am really looking forward to after this quarter. I am thinking about going to Washington DC with my fiancée. I have never been there and I have heard it is a beautiful place. I really want to check out the museums, especially since they are all free.

I am starting to hate the KFC in my neighborhood now. They are always hard to deal with and last time I was there, they were especially stubborn.

I went there to take use of a special offer. I have gone there before and ordered thighs only because I like them better. This time they did not want to give me thighs only because they were too lazy to cook them.

I argued a little with them and they finally agreed to give me thighs only. When I got all my food I asked if I could get some sauce. They usually always give you ketchup, hot sauce, and sweet and sour sauce.

This time they did not want to give me sweet and sour sauce and only gave me hot sauce. I asked why and they said they changed their policies and charged 50 cents for each small box of sweet and sour.

It is ridiculous how they treat their customers. I will definitely consider going to Burger King instead next time.

I took today’s picture in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. It is close to a Jewish neighborhood so there are a lot of these kinds of school buses here. 

My Story Continues

I was a little nervous when I got my acceptance letter from Berkeley College. I was actually in the bathroom while opening it and I remember thinking to myself that if I get accepted it will really change my life.

I opened the letter and saw the congratulation title and I felt good but still a little nervous. I literally had no idea of what college would be like in the United States. I did not know anyone there either so I knew I would have to totally start over.

I had not told anyone at work about my application actually because I did not want to do a lot of talking and then be rejected. I called my employer the same day I got the letter actually and worked out a deal with him.

You have to leave a lot of people behind you when going abroad. I had to give up a few good friendships but I guess it is necessary to do things like that in life sometimes. It does not mean you will never see them again but it definitely means a big change.

I also had to start finding an apartment, preparing the visa and the loan after getting the letter, a lot of work with other words.

I felt surprisingly calm about going to the United States. I think I prepared myself during my whole life since I always wanted to go here and that really helped me to remain calm.

I was pretty calm on the day of my flight too. I remember worrying a little about the apartment since I had not actually seen it with my own eyes before. I had contact with the landlord though via phone.

There was a lot to take in the first day I came to New York. I had been here before for vacation, three years earlier but it was nothing like this of course.

I took a cab to my place in Brooklyn and met my landlord and everything. It all turned out great and I felt relieved after dropping of my bags.

I had to go to Berkeley College before classes actually started. All students have to take two tests in math and English to decide whether students need extra classes in those subjects. There was also an orientation day in which students get familiarized with the school and faculty members.

I tried to find friends as soon as possible, which I did. It is not hard to find friends in New York. I was worrying a little about my English but it has never been a problem. I do believe Swedish students have great English even though many feel insecure about it.

This is basically how I did it. It only took two weeks or so for me to feel like home. Like I said, I think my mental preparations for this trip started a very long time ago. 

My Story

Some people have been asking me about applying to Berkeley College lately so I will write a little about that today.

I noticed that I have not really explained to you who I am and what motivated me to go to the United States. There is a lot to cover about it and that would take more than one blog to explain.

I grew up in southern Sweden in a small city with a population of approximately 30,000 people, cows and horses. I actually always wanted to go to the United States ever since I was a kid.

I am not sure what really triggered the passion to America in me but I believe I have always lived in an American way. I went to study journalism and broadcasting in high school for three years. In Sweden people can actually chose a major in high school.

I started working after three long years of studying. At first, I was only working part time with various jobs such as McDonald’s, assistant at a computer store, and at a small book factory that specialized in putting books together.

I really just wanted a job with a good salary that would allow me to save some money. I found a job at an auto glass factory in my hometown a few months after college. At first I was only supposed to work there for four months because most companies in Sweden do not want to hire you longer than that, meaning they will extend your contract if they need you and if you are doing a good job. 

I worked for four months and was than let go because the demand for side windows was low. I went to Switzerland to work there for a month and was after that called in again by my old job.

I stayed approximately three years that time and figured I had enough money to go to New York after that.

I needed to translate my Swedish grades and have two letters of recommendation from a mentor, teacher, or close friend. I did not have to do the SAT or the TOEFL since my grades were good enough.

I found it very hard to find all the information about how to apply to a college in the United States. Therefore, I contacted a Swedish organization called GoStudy that helped me for free to apply to Berkeley College.

I applied about six months before I attended school the first day. There is a lot of paperwork to do with visa and student loans so I recommend you to give yourself enough time for it.

It is also hard to find an apartment. I found it via craigslist.org, which is a bit risky. There is a lot of fraud and scamming going on there but I was lucky and found a decent place where I could stay.

I will tell you more about my first days in New York in my next blog. Contact me if you have any questions.